Bernie Williams was born in 1968 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He grew up on the island, excelling in track and field, baseball, and music up through his teenage years. When Williams was 16, he was noticed by Yankee scout Roberto Rivera, who wanted to sign him. The age of eligibility to sign with an MLB team was 17, so the Yankees stashed Williams away in a Connecticut baseball training camp until his 17th birthday, when he could officially signed with the team.
During his first year in the minors, Williams was simultaneously enrolled in pre-med classes at the University of Puerto Rico.